A ‣ Pronunciation of numbers

Notice how we say the following:

28% twenty-eight per cent

10m x 12m ten metres by twelve metres

1^2/₃ one and two thirds

⁴/₅ four fifths

⁹/₁₃ nine thirteenths I nine over thirteen

4² four squared

7³ seven cubed

8⁴ eight to the power of four

10.3 ten point three

32°C or F thirty-two degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit

Decimal fractions are separated by a dot and not a comma in English and this is pronounced point.

Note how commas are used to separate each set of three numbers in long numbers: 1,623,457 = one million, six hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven.

Telephone numbers are usually said like this: 01223 20675 = oh one double two three, two oh six, seven five.

B ‣ Two-dimensional shapes

The corresponding adjectives are: circular, pentagonal, rectangular, triangular, square, octagonal, oval.

A rectangle has four right angles. A pentagon has five sides.

A circle is cut in half by its diameter. Its two halves can be called semi-circles.

The radius of a circle is the distance from its centre to the circumference.

C ‣ Three-dimensional shapes

We have skin covering our bodies.

The corresponding adjectives are: spherical, cubic, pyramidal, spiral.

The two halves of a sphere can be called hemispheres.

D ‣ Arithmetic

+ addition      – subtraction      × multiplication      ÷ division

2x + 3y - z = ^3z/_4x    Two x plus three y minus z equals three z divided by four x or three z over four x

6 × 7= 42    Six times / multiplied by seven is forty-two or six sevens are forty-two